Corn and cotton sweep



(No Model.)

S. T. LEWIS 82: J. H. BABB.

CORN AND COTTON SWEEP.

No. 349,725. Patented Sept 28, 18 86..

PETERS. Phow-Lilhn m her, Washi 2v v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, SAMUEL TIMOTHY LEYVIS AND JOHN HENDRIOK BABB, OF MIDWVAY, TEXAS.

CORN AND COTTON SWEEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,725, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed May 20, 1886. v Serial No. 202,786. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUELv TIMOTHY LEwIs and JOHN HENDRICKBABB, citizens of the. United States, residing at Midway, in the county of Madison and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn and Cotton Sweeps, of which the following is a specification.

Our inventionrelates to improvements in sweeps for the cultivation of corn and cotton; and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction and arrangement of the various parts 7 for service, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved sweep for the cultivation of corn, cane, and cotton plants while they are young, which shall be capable of adjustment to plowstocks of any class; to provide removable wings which can be applied or detached when it is desired to throw the dirt or soil to either the right or left; and to provide a removable point which can be replaced when it is worn out with another point of similar construction, and thus render the sweep as good as new and save the farmerthe cost of a new sweep.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved cottonsweep. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view thereof on theline m x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the sweep proper with the point and the wings thereof removed. Fig. 4. is a detail view of the point. Fig. 5 is a like view of the removable wings, and Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the sweep having the removable wings and point applied thereto. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 3 y of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the sweep, which is made of metal and tapering in form from its upper edge toward the point 0. The sweep is also curved in cross-section, so that the middle thereof is bulged outwardly, and the side edges lie in a line below the plane of the middle, and the side edges of the sweep are bent at an angle to form the lateral flanges b.

B designates one of the removable wings, which is arranged at the upper edge of the sweep, and to one side of the longitudinal axis thereof, and this wing is detachably secured to the sweep in a manner presently described, and itis curved on its side edges, so that the outer free end terminates in a point, as at b.

The lower edge of the sweep is terminated abruptly and in a straight line, and between the side edges the lower end of the sweep is notched or recessed, as at a. The upper edge of the point 0 is provided with a lug, c, that conforms in shape to the notch a and fits therein, so that its edges lie flush with the edges of the notch and the outer face of the sweep, thereby presenting a smooth unbroken surface to the action of the soil. The lower edge of the sweep is further provided'with a projecting tongue or plate, E, that lies beneath the plane of the outer surface thereof, and this tongue or plate is formed in one piece with or secured to the sweep in any suitable manner. The plate or tongue of the sweep bears against the rear face of the point, and it is curved to conform to the shape of said point at the point where'it bears thereon, and the tongue is secured detachably to the point by means of bolts F, the heads of which are countersunk in the outer face of' the point, while the threaded ends pass through the removable point and the tongue of the sweep and receive nutsf, that bear against the rear face of the tongue and bind the latter to the point, so that the point is very firmly and rigidly secured thereto, the lug thereof fitting the notch in the lower edge of the sweep serving to assist in retaining the device in place. It will be seen that by removing the nuts the point can be readily removed from the sweep and another point substituted therefor, thus effecting an economy in the cost of implement-supplies to the farmer;

G designates the other removable or detachable wing, which is arranged on the other side of the longitudinal axis of the sweep to the fellow sweep, and the upper edge of the sweep, to which the removable wings are fitted, is provided with countersunk or depressed seats 9, and in these sockets fit the tongues or lugs h'of the wings G and B, the lugs being arranged at.

with a transverse opening, 5, and the lugs or tongues h of the removable wings are provided with a similar opening, 3', which aligns with the opening '5 when the wings are fitted to the sweep, and through these aligned openings are passed through-bolts I, the inner ends of which receive nuts J, that draw the heads of the bolts against the tongues of the removable wings and firmly bind thelatterin their proper place.

The wings B and G are twisted and curved transversely and longitudinally, as shown, so that the upper inner edges thereof overhang the sweep, and by means of this peculiar form of the wings the dirt or soil is more effectually and evenly thrown to one side of the sweep and upon the growing plants.

When it is desired to throw the dirt upon only the plants at one side of the furrow, one of the removable wings is detached, and if the soil is to be thrown upon the other side of the furrow, or the device is to be used for throwing the dirt upon the hills on both sides of the furrow, the other or both of the wings are adjusted and secured in place.

We have found bypractical experiments that our improved sweep is especially valuable in cultivating corn, cotton, and cane in wet weather, as well as in dry weather, and for clearing the furrow of grass, and the device is especially valuable in the cultivation of corn and cotton plants While they are young, as it throws only the necessary or required quantity of earth upon the plants and does not completely cover them.

Our improved sweep can be secured to a plow-stock of any class and in any suitable manner; but as the invention in the present case is confined to the peculiar form of sweep herein shown and described we have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the plowstock.

The plate Emay be formed integral with the removable point and bear against the sweep, or it may be formed with the sweep and bear against the point.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A cotton-sweep formed with tapering sid'es having the bent edges or flanges b, and curved in transverse section, in combination with the independently-removable wings B G, secured to the upper edges of the sweep on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis, each wing being twisted to cause its inner edge to overhang the body of the sweep, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL TIMOTHY LEWIS. JOHN HENDRIGK BABB.

Witnesses:

O. M. FORD, P. K. GoRLL. 

